My Savior
by Monasteriense
Summary: Antonio, an exchange student from Spain, is spending the year at an American school. After defending the "faggot" Lovino from his constant harassment, Antonio's year, and Lovino's life, all take a drastic turn. A/U! Spamano!
1. Lo Siento!

Grinning broadly, Antonio stepped out of his host parent's car, waving to them once. With that, he shut the door, and turned upon the school. It was his first day as an exchange student from Spain. The school itself was a decent size, with a student body just over two thousand. Or so he was told, he hadn't seen it until now. A huge grin crept onto his face, shrugging his backpack onto his shoulder. He began the short walk up the sidewalk to the school building, looking up at it as he went. _It's so big and fancy! _Completely absorbed in the architecture of the regal looking school, Antonio failed to notice another student, just short enough to be out of sight as he looked up. The Spaniard walked straight into him, sending the other kid tumbling to the ground, and tripping over him and hitting the pavement as well.

"Lo siento! I didn't see you there! Lo-"

"YOU FUCKING IDIOT! _MERDA_!"

_Dios Mio. _

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE FUCKING GOING, YOU BASTARD!" All Antonio could do was blink and nod. The one he had just run into was no taller than six feet, swooping auburn hair that had a small curl twirling out from the part._ Cuuute! I want to pull it! _The little curl, which swept over the boy's face to the right, was bobbing up and down slightly as he continued to rant and rave. Antonio didn't hear him anymore, it was all just a buzz and he observed the features of the kid. Still swearing, Antonio noted the strong Italian accent in the others voice. Maybe he was an exchange student too! Though he looked a bit young, maybe sixteen or so. "Stop starting at me like that, you fuckin' creep!" But Antonio couldn't. He had been caught in the trap that was the eyes of the other. They were like liquid gold, honey, and everything other wonderful thing that happened to be that shade of yellow. They were mesmerizing, as well as filled with burning anger. But Antonio ignored that part.

"Sorry, sorry!" Antonio pushed himself off the ground, patting stray dirt from his pants. "Here, amigo, let me make it up to you!" Antonio flung himself towards the younger boy, (Who, as soon as he figured out was happening, began to flail and curse, "No! Wait, dammit! You bastard, stay away from me!" to no avail.) Antonio wrapped his arms around the other boy's waist, giving him a pat on the back and adding, "Lo siento!" once again. He backed away, quite pleased with himself. He was making friends already!

The brunette, however, didn't look nearly as pleased. His face was bright red, and he looked like he wanted to die. He opened his mouth to say something, but shut it. He huffed loudly, and marched past Antonio without a word, shoving him as he did so. _What's his problem? _He watched the boy shove the door of the school open and walk inside. His stare lingered for a few more moments. _Americans are confusing. Or was he Italian? I suppose they're both pretty strange..._

He was tapped lightly on the shoulder, turning ever-so-slightly to see who wanted to talk to him. The boy who had done so was much shorter than him, and looked remarkably similar to the one who had...Wait, what? He had gone into the school and now he was here! How did that happen?_ I thought the Japanese were ninjas! _It made no sense to Antonio, until he looked into the eyes of the boy behind him. They weren't the shining pools of gold he had seen before. No, it was more like looking at a tree's bark, or a puddle of mud. They weren't nearly as pretty as his brother's. From there, Antonio noticed more differences. His hair was a slightly different color, he was a tad shorter, and he radiated happiness. The curl, though he shared it with the other boy, went the opposite direction. "I'm sorry for my brother!" _Oh_, that explained it. "He can be kind of a dick sometimes! But he's not bad, really!" The two had to be twins. They looked so similar, and they sounded almost the same, though this one hadn't cursed at Antonio yet, which was a good start.

Beaming, the Spaniard laughed, "It's alright! I'm not mad at him or anything!"

The young Italian relaxed considerably, hugging Antonio suddenly. "Ve~! We'll be good friends, then! We'll paint and make pasta together! Ve, ve, ve~!"

"Yes! Good friends!" Tonio laughed, returning the Italian's hug happily. _So strange! _But, even if the Italian twins were a little odd, Antonio wasn't going to turn down a friend. Besides, he was so happy and excited! How could he say no? As the younger boy stepped back, Antonio extended his hand, expecting the Italian to take it. Americans did that a lot, right? He'd been told so. "I'm Antonio! Antonio Fernandez Carriedo!"

"I'm Feliciano! Feliciano Vargas!" He took Antonio's hand, shaking it not once, but over and over again, refusing to let go. _Is this normal? I hope not, my arm will fall off before the end of the day! _Antonio internally sighed in relief when Feliciano finally decided to let his hand fall. "The one you ran into was my _fratello_, Lovino!"

Lovino... that name was truly _adorable_! Antonio thought about Lovino as he and Feliciano walked into the school together, and how he went off on a such a temper tantrum for being run into. Did he do that all the time? And when he had been hugged, his face was so red, he looked like a tomato! He and Feliciano parted ways, Antonio going to history. From there, Antonio's thoughts wandered from tomatoes, to his class, to the pretty girl who had just walked by. A little bit lost, he wandered around, looking from the sheet of paper that was his map of the school, to the numbers above the doors. He was a bit confused by the hallways and how they were situated, (and a bit confused as to why _he_ had to find several classrooms. Wasn't that the teacher's job?) but he found his class with time to spare before the bell rang.

He fell into a random chair, looking around the room. Antonio was pretty good at English, but the sheer amount of words around the room, on posters, on the wall, on the board, it confused him a bit. It was so much to look at at once, it almost made him dizzy. He looked down at the table he had sat at, took a pencil out of his bag, and began to doodle on the desk. It wasn't anything great, but it was enough to keep him focused and busy. So focused, in fact, that he failed to notice someone clearing his throat at the front of the classroom. He did it again. No response. Again, but louder. Still nothing. Sighing, the teacher sat up, tapping his fingers on the Spaniard's desk.

"Oh!" Antonia looked up, smiling at the teacher. He wasn't smiling back, but that didn't change Antonio's mood.

"There's a seating chart up front. And don't draw on the desks!" Letting out an exasperated, overly dramatic sigh, the teacher returned to his chair as Antonio got up. What was a '_seating chart'_? It was in the front, apparently. A piece of paper sat on a stool in by the whiteboard. That had to be it. Looking it over, Antonio noticed his name towards the back of the classroom. There was another name next to his, since the tables in the room seated two people.

Francis Bonnefoy.

Antonio's smile grew even wider. Another chance to make a friend! He started to go back to where he was assigned to, but he was suddenly overcome with the urge to see if Lovino was in this class. He looked it over, but to his disappointment, it wasn't. _Oh, well. There are three more classes I might have with him! _A small brunette girl with short, boyish hair walked into the classroom, looked at the seating chart, and sat across the room from Antonio. After that, nobody else came in until the warning bell at 7:40. Students began to pile into the classroom after that, filling up every seat. _When does school start? 7:45? _His table mate hadn't shown up yet, and it was 7:43. _I hope he comes soon._

7:44.

Antonio had given up hope, and sighed. Oh, well. He'd have lots of chances to make friends! Plus, what if someone even cooler was assigned to sit next to him because of it? Maybe one of the pretty girls...

"Oh hohohohoho! Gilbert, You are _such_ a dog!" There was more loud, obnoxious laughter, and at 7:44 and fifty-seven seconds, a stylishly dressed blonde walked into the classroom. Antonio looked around. The only empty seat in the classroom was next to him...So that had to be Francis! Excitement bubbled up in his chest, his foot tapping and grin growing in response. Watching him walk into the classroom was like watching a lion walk majestically into his den. Francis's golden mane flowed behind him, he walked with confidence, and shot sly glances at the girls around the room. His clothes were immaculate and perfectly matched, as well as stylish. He radiated beauty and oozed confidence.

He took his seat next to Antonio, setting his belongings neatly on the desk. The aroma of roses filled the air around him, but this kid made it seem _totally_ manly to smell like a flower. Antonio was so awestruck by everything about Francis, it took him a long moment to respond when Francis turned to him, "I don't think we've met before," Antonio realized he had been staring, and suddenly jolted upright.

"No, I'm new this year! I'm Antonio, the exchange student from Spain!" Antonio blinked, but smiled when the other started laughing next to him.

"Caught in the act of checking me out, no? No need to be ashamed," He ran the back of his hand along his jawline, sweeping his gorgeous hair behind his shoulder, "It happens to everyone! I'm Francis, though I'm sure you already knew that! Oh ho ho~" Francis laughed and winked at Antonio, who laughed along with him.

"_S__ì__ amigo_, whatever you say!" Antonio grinned, turning his attention to the front as the teacher began his lesson. But a few minutes in, something flicked his arm. He looked down, and noticed a small piece of paper next to him. He looked up, noting the teacher's back was turned, and picked it up, quietly unfolding it. It read:

_Antonio, the dark-haired girl in front of us is very sexy, no?_

The note was written in delicate, flowing, almost calligraphic writing, every low hanging letter ending in an elongated swirl. It seemed a bit feminine, but Antonio had no doubts about Francis' masculinity. He looked ahead, observing the girl in front. She was indeed very pretty. Her long, brown hair was pulled into two pigtails, kept in place with ribbons. It flowed over her shoulders and down her back, and her facial features, which Antonio could see since she was looking out the window, were all perfect. She had caramel colored eyes, that reminded him of...Lovino. They were almost the same shade.

He grinned, and hastily scribbled his reply.

_Yes, she is beautiful! She reminds me of someone I met earlier today!_

Glancing at the front again, he quickly crumpled the note, and flicked it at Francis. He had his head down, and it got stuck in his hair. Antonio had to slap his hand to mouth to keep from laughing, but couldn't quiet the snort that escaped through his nose. The teacher raised his eyebrows, looking back at him. Antonio had regained his composure, and watched him innocently. Rolling his eyes, the teacher returned to his lesson.

Francis looked up from his work, one eyebrow cocked at Antonio. The paper fell out of his hair, and he stared at it for moment. Not as amused as Antonio, (Who had to bury his face in his elbow and fake a cough to hold back his laughter) he rolled his eyes as he unfolded it. He read it, grinning. He scribbled again, and gently passed the note to Antonio.

_Ohohoho! You like them? I may be able to set you up if I know them! Who was it? You can tell Francis anything~ _

Francis chuckled as Antonio turned red as he read the note. Playfully punching his shoulder, Antonio replied:

_I don't 'like' them! I met them for a few minutes just today!_

_Love at first sight, no? Oh, and you're a terrible liar, my friend._

Antonio stuck his lip out. He wasn't a bad liar! Besides, he didn't have to tell Francis anything, despite his claims. Including the fact the one that he was writing about was a guy. Antonio definitely wasn't in love with Lovino anyway. It had been a rather short first encounter, and a little on the hostel side. But still, the Italian had a fire in him that drew Antonio in, wanted to get to know him better. Why was he so angry? Was it all the time? To everyone? These were questions Antonio had, and wanted the answers to.

The rest of the hour was wasted in a similar manner, the topic of his and Francis's notes changing back to the brunette in front. Antonio didn't hear a word of what the teacher said, not that he really cared. First days tended to be dull and unimportant. He was led to his next class by Francis and his friend, Gilbert. They laughed the whole way, and were fast friends in no time at all.

Antonio's next class, Astronomy, was painfully boring. Nobody he had met was in it, and the person who sat next to him was quiet and reserved. The Asian looking boy had short, raven hair that neatly framed his face. All of Antonio's attempts to socialize were shot down, since the boy only responded with one-word answers or ignored him completely.

"Hi! I'm Antonio!"

"Hello."

"What's your name?"

"Kiku."

"Cool! Hows your day going so far?

Silence.

"Mine's been going very good! American schools are so weird, though–" Completely oblivious to the amount of stress he was putting on Kiku, and the extreme amount of awkward that practically radiated off of him, Antonio continued to ramble, making the Japanese student more and more red-faced. _I ignore him, but he keeps talking! Stressful social situation! What do I do?_

Finally, Kiku was saved by the bell, and fled the room like it was on fire, leaving Antonio mid-sentence. "So I said – Oh, okay, see you tomorrow amigo!" Antonio collected his notebook and pens, stuffing them lazily wherever they'd fit in his backpack.

He'd been looking forward to his next class ass day: Cooking! He was a wonderful cook, and spent a lot of time doing it at home back in Spain. He hadn't done much since coming to the United States, since he was busy with unpacking and meeting people and adjusting to life, but now was a great opportunity for him to stay in practice, and maybe even learn something new! He really hoped he could make something with tomatoes in it, though. God, Tomatoes were like a delicious, juicy, exploding orgasm in his mouth. Hm, now that he thought about, orgasms and tomatoes weren't that different...

Completely engrossed in that _interesting_ thought, he almost walked right past his classroom, until he almost ran into Feliciano. "Oh, Feli!" He grinned, throwing an arm over his shoulders. "¿Cómo Estás?"

The Italian laughed, happily patting Antonio's hand. "I don't know what that means, but what class do you have now, Toni?"

_The way he smiles all the time is so damn cute!_ "I have cooking class this hour! ...But I think I lost the room..." He looked around, realizing that he had no idea where he was anymore.

"Really? Me too! Ve~! This is so exciting! We can make pasta together for an entire 80 minutes! Isn't that great? Plus, my brother is in it, too! So we can all be a group! Ve~e!"

"Yes! This is fantastic news! We'll make paella and eat tomatoes!" He laughed with Feliciano, letting the overly-happy brunette pull him to the cooking classroom. Antonio beamed when he saw Lovino pouting in a chair near the back of the room, taking a seat next to him. Feliciano took a chair next to Antonio, and much to Antonio's delight, Francis was in this class too! He noticed them, waved to a group of girls, and sat across from him. Lovino made a noise of disgust in the back of his throat as he approached, but other than that ignored him.

They laughed and talked until class started, and the teacher at the front, Mrs. M-something, (Antonio didn't really care enough to remember. All he knew was that she looked like a dinosaur, with her arms always close to her chest and the way she stalked around the room) began to explain the assignment to them. She spoke fast, and used a lot of words and an accent Antonio didn't really understand, so he only caught about a third of the lesson. Luckily for him, both Francis and Feliciano were there to translate and explain it for him a bit better. Mrs. M-Dinosaur handed out sheets of paper, recipes, with a list of amounts and ingredients on them, but no indication as to what it was they were making. Antonio looked at it carefully, reading it over.

_1 cup of flour,_

What in God's name was a 'cup'? He had never learned this. And, there was a 'teaspoon'. How much was that? Did it have anything to do with the drink? Because he wasn't very fond of it. And what kind of ass-fuckery was a 'smidgeon'? Antonio knew he must have looked horrible confused, as Feliciano took the paper from him and said, "Just let us deal with the measuring, okay?"

"Ah...Okay..."

The whole point of the assignment was for them to be able to make what was on the sheet and to identify it once it was done, since to do that, you had to follow directions. It was a stupid assignment, in Antonio's mind. Anyone with a basic knowledge of American foods and such would be able to know in an instant what it was! But, he wasn't one of those people, and none of his group members would tell him. So, Francis, Feliciano, Lovino, and himself all set to work making the whatever weird American food it was. Everyone in their group was more than decent at cooking, but all put together, they fought and messed around so much that it all went downhill fast, and nothing got done, leaving Antonio to stand around and wonder what the hell '_lbs_' stood for. Did they need a lobster's worth of chocolate in this? How big was this lobster? Cooked or raw? Lobster was delicious, but using it with chocolate seemed very unreasonable and disgusting. Although, he'd heard they had chocolate-covered bacon in the USA before, so he decided that wasn't too far-fetched.

Lost in thought, he didn't realize what he was supposed to be doing until Lovino waved a hand in front of his face, frowning.

"Hey, fucktard, why don't you actually try and help us get this dumb ass assignment done?" He stormed off, yelling at Felicano about something and threatening to hit Francis with a wooden a spoon. (Which ended with Francis commenting, "Oh, if you're into that kind of thing, I guess! Oh ho ho~" and Lovino yelling at him more. "Stop being such a pervert, you sick fuck!")

So, Antonio was assigned the job of gathering all the materials for them, and they took care of the rest. He found a bit of help with a long-haired brunette girl named Elizabeta, who was in the next group over. He didn't know a few of the English words for things they needed, and she kindly pointed them out for him. She seemed a bit distraught as she did, though. The rest of her group was an obnoxious group of boys who got even less done then Antonio's group did. Alfred, Mattias, and Arthur, plus Elizabeta. Caught up in small talk with her, Antonio had, once again, completely forgotten about the assignment they were supposed to be doing. Until a spoon flew through the air, nailing him in the back of the head. "OW!"

"FOCUS! Do you hear me, you Mexican asshole? If you're-"

"_Heeey_! I am not Mexican! I am Spanish!"

Alfred, from the other group, piped up, "There's a difference?"

Everyone stared at him.

Snarling from across the room, Lovino stared him down. "Yes, Alfred, there _is_, in fact, a fucking _difference_."

Alfred stared back for a moment, brilliant blue eyes wide. He didn't say anything, but smirked victoriously.

Antonio simply watched, confused. He was touched that Lovino was to the one to correct Alfred, so he didn't have to seem like an asshole, but now even _he_ could practically feel the tension in the room. But he had no idea what in God's name was going on. He had taken the mixing spoon from his group, holding it between his lips as he watched. The entire room was silent.

"I think Blowjob's got a little crush on the Mexican!"

"_Por favor,_ I am _Spanish_."

Alfred turned to him, grinning. "Be careful how you suck that spoon! It might give Lovino wet dreams!" He laughed loudly, joined by Mattias and Arthur. Everyone else just quietly returned to work. "Why don't you ask him out, faggot?"

Antonio blinked owlishly at Alfred, and turned to Lovino. "Uh, ami-" He stopped. Lovino had his head down, eyes on the floor. Where was his fire? Why wasn't he shouting back and calling them all kinds of names like he had done to Antonio earlier? He just looked...defeated. It hurt, actually, _physically_ hurt, Antonio to look at him and all he could do was watch. Finally, without a word, Lovino left. He simply walked out of the classroom, and out of sight.

Antonio was dumbfounded. It took him a moment to figure everything out, but finally he gathered two things. The first was that Lovino was gay. The second was that he got _hell_ for it. How often and by who, Antonio had no idea. He looked over to Francis, who was busily distracting Feliciano with something else.

Alfred and his friend's laughter picked up again, and they resumed work. Elizabeta looked _furious_, but she didn't say anything. She kept her mouth shut, and went back to work, as did everyone else. The idle chatter of the room picked up again. Was this a routine, then? Did it happen so often that everyone expected it and could just ignore it and move on?

He opened his mouth and turned to Alfred. There were a _lot_ of things he wanted to say, and wrap it all up with a punch to the mouth, but he had already turned away, and was talking with his friends. And why bother? Why bring it up again? Lovino wouldn't want his sexuality to just get dragged up scrutinized and again. So, Antonio could only turn back to his group, minus Lovino, and continue to work. Feliciano seemed to have missed the entire show, and was confused as to his brother's whereabouts.

"Hey, where did _fratello_ go?" He looked around the classroom, tipping his head at Antonio.

"Uh," Antonio put his hands up, scrambling for an excuse. "W-well, he...you see, he was not feeling so good, so he left. When he will be back, I don't know." Smiling reassuringly, he patted Feli on the head. Francis sighed in relief, and brought up the cooking once again to keep the boy's mind off it. The rest of the day passed with a horrible slowness. Antonio wasn't his usual, cheerful self for the rest of lunch, the next class, and the short 20-minute free period after. He smiled for his host parents, and told them the day went well, but as he lay in bed that night, he couldn't shake the feeling of regret weighing on his chest. He could have done something, said something, _anything_ to defend Lovino, but he didn't. He stared and stayed silent like _everyone_ else. He was disgusted with himself, truly. He considered Lovino a friend, but what kind of friend was he being? He turned one of his cross necklaces in his hand, chuckling lightly to himself.

_Next time, Alfred. There'll be _hell_ to pay._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Just a quick note here, I want to advise everyone to most definitely _not_ eat something with a pound (_Or_ a lobster's worth) of chocolate in it. I'm pretty sure you'll get instant type-II diabetes.

Another quick note: In this fic, Lovino and _maybe_ two others, along with Antonio, are going to be the only gay ones. Everyone else is straight. Because it doesn't make much sense for Alfred (And I'm sorry America fans, but I singled out Alfred to be a dick in this fic, along with England. Mainly because Spain doesn't like them much) to pick on Lovino for being gay if he is as well. And yes there's, "He's just doing it to cover up his own gayness!11 !11!1one!11" but that's a dumb cliché I don't want to get into.


	2. Miel Bajo El Sol

The next morning, Antonio was as happy as ever. Like the previous days events had never happened, he went to school with a smile on his face. It still bothered him though, how Alfred had been such an asshole to Lovino, but he didn't outwardly show it. Instead, he tried to keep a positive attitude and ended up forgetting about the whole ordeal.

In first block, he and Francis spoke to the girl that sat in front of them.

"Excuse me, Miss?" The french student leaned forward as he spoke, gently tapping her shoulder with his finger. She hummed questioningly, turning around to face them. "How much does a polar bear weigh?"

The girl looked horribly confused, her eyebrows pushed together, lips stuck out in a small pout. She looked _almost_ as confused as Antonio.

_Why would you say something like that? That seems like a terrible way to start a conversation..._ But, Antonio couldn't really question his methods, since his way of talking to Lovino was to shove him to the concrete and end up giving him a hug against his will.

"I-I don't know..." The brunette raised her eyebrows at Francis, expecting some kind of answer.

"Enough to break the ice. I'm Francis." He chuckled, reaching out, taking one of her hands, and kissing the back gently.

Blushing bright red, and girl stammered, "I'm M-Michelle!" She giggled, turning slightly away from Francis as he kissed her hand.

"Well, Michelle," Francis purred, folding his hands together and leaning on the table, "I just wanted to say that you have the most beautiful eyes." Before class ended, Antonio watched in awe as Francis not only managed to get Michelle's number, but a promise to go on a date sometime and kiss on the cheek.

_That was incredible! This man...is God! _As he and Francis met with Gilbert in the hallway between classes, he hugged Francis, praising, "Wow, Francis! That was amazing! You must make lots of friends that way!"

Gilbert laughed through his teeth, the unusual sound drawing Antonio's attention. "Oh, _Ja_, Antonio, he makes lots of '_friends'_ that way!"

"Oh ho ho, yes Antonio, you should try it! You want to make '_friends_' here too, no?"

Antonio beamed. "_S__ì_! I want friends!" _I'm so fortunate, he _thought,_ to have Francis and Gilbert as my friends! They're so helpful!_

"Ah, then just do what I did earlier, and compliment them! Tell them how beautiful they are! And you'll have plenty of friends in no time at all!" Francis laughed, slipping out of Antonio's hug as a bell announced that the passing period was half over.

"I will!" Antonio laughed happily, and the three split. More excited than ever, he walked into his second hour classroom, taking his seat next to Kiku. "Hey, hey Kiku!"

Once again, he was greeted with silence.

Undeterred, Antonio continued, "How much does a polar bear weigh?"

Sighing, the Japanese student turned to Antonio. "I do not know."

"Enough to break the ice!" Wait, what came next? Oh, right! Compliment him! "Kiku, you have..." Antonio paused. What was pretty about Kiku? He glanced him over, deciding his best feature was, "really nice hands! They look so soft and nice!"

Kiku stared, feeling both horrified and confused. _Why is he doing this to me? _Deciding the best course of action was to simply end the conversation, he replied, "Thank you," and turned away.

Antonio beamed, _that was more interaction than yesterday! It works! _He turned to face forward, but noticed there was, in fact, an other person to his left. Was he there yesterday? Antonio didn't know, but he was here now!

"Hey, _amigo_! How much does a polar bear weigh?"

The small boy literally cringed as he was addressed, then simply looked amazed that someone had actually _spoken_ to him. Wide-eyed, he mumbled something in response. But it was barely more than a whisper.

"Sorry, what?" Antonio leaned closer, straining to hear him.

"I s-said about fifteen hundred p-p-pounds."

"..." Antonio was not only confused about how much a 'pound' was, but by how he should respond. It hadn't gone according to plan, so now he was lost. "...Is that enough to break the ice?"

The purple-eyed boy laughed quietly, shaking his head. "I guess it depends on how thick the ice is."

_Still_ confused as to how much a "pound" was, and no closer to finding the answer, Antonio blinked, smiled, nodded, replied, "Oh, okay!" and started paying attention to the teacher again, forgetting about it. He glanced at the clock every thirty seconds or so, the excitement building up in him as he waited for his next class. Ten minutes before the bell rang, he drummed his fingers on the desk impatiently. Five minutes before the bell rang, he bounced his left leg at a dizzying pace, biting his lip and staring at the clock. The last minute of the class was the slowest sixty seconds of his life. The students had all stood up, crowding around the door like sheep, as if it would get them out of there faster.

After what seemed like a _lifetime_, the bell rang, allowing Antonio to flee the classroom, heading out, left, down the hallway, and into the cooking classroom. Much to his disappointment, Lovino wasn't there yet. Equally to his disappointment, Alfred was. Anger welled up in him as he remembered yesterday. What right did he have, to treat Lovino that way? He pushed his chair back, standing up, glaring daggers at Alfred. He was going to-

"Son of a _bitch_, Feli. _Shut the hell up_!"

_Lovino! _Revenge forgotten, Antonio turned and beamed at Lovino as he sauntered into the classroom. He was followed by his brother, who was babbling at a thousand kilometers a minute, not hearing or blatantly ignoring Lovino's plea for silence. Rolling his eyes, the bad-tempered brunette took his seat next to Antonio. Feliciano immediately hugged Antonio around the shoulders, laughing and speaking far too fast for Antonio to understand a word of what he was saying. It made him dizzy, but at the same time, Feli's spunk was adorable.

Not as adorable, however, as the way Lovino pouted silently, arms crossed over his chest as he stared straight forward. He stuck his lips out, tapped his foot lightly, eyes half-closed.

Antonio leaned forward, breaking the hug between him and Lovino's brother, leaning on the desk. "Hey, Lovino!"

Lovino curled his lip upwards, sighing heavily. "What do you want, bastard?"

"How much does a polar bear weigh?"

"Enough to break the ice." _Seriously, who hasn't hear that a thousand fucking times?_

_Mierda_! Why did people keep messing this up for Antonio? Still not discouraged, he moved on to step two. "Lovi, you have the prettiest eyes! They're like _miel bajo el sol_!"

Lovino turned _red_. Not a little red, but a deep fluster that crept up onto his nose. He was wide-eyes, like a deer in headlights, his mouth hanging in a perfect "o". He opened his mouth to say something, but gaped stupidly instead, his words failing him. Since he knew Italian, Spanish wasn't hard for him to understand.

Antonio chuckled happily, his upper half still sprawled over the desk in front of the red-faced Lovino. "Ah, Lovi, you're so cute!"

Recovering from his initial shock, he snarled, "Don't call me '_Lovi_'! And I'm not cute!" He growled, crossing his arms on the desk and burying below his nose in them.

"But you are!" Antonio reached out, finally giving into the bobbing temptation that was Lovino's curling. He _had_ to pull it. He would _die_ if he didn't. The curiosity, anxiety, and frustration of not knowing would kill him. So, he did. He pinched it between his thumb and forefinger, tugging it gently.

Lovino panicked as he realized what Antonio was doing, but couldn't stop it. His curl was tugged. The Italian closed his eyes, tipped his head, and let a very loud, and very _sexual_ moan rumble out of his chest.

Antonio froze at the sound. _Whoa_. He hadn't been expecting that. He let the curl go, watching as Lovino turned an ever darker red. He didn't even know it was possible to blush like that.

"What the _fuck_ was that?" Antonio turned his head to see Alfred, sitting among his friends with an extremely confused expression.

Lovino snorted, and deadpanned, "Your mom." He then mumbled, "Shit," into his arm as he realized he should have just ignored it. _Now_ he was going to get it.

Arthur let out a small, 'tsk' at the lack of tact in the response. Alfred, however, stuck his lip out smugly, leaning back in his chair. "God, Lovino. You're such a tight-ass." He rolled his striking blue eyes, smirking as his gaze flicked over to Antonio. "Why don't you have the _him_ loosen it up for you, Blowjob?"

That was it. Not again, not in front of him. Antonio shoved his chair back, standing up and sauntering over to Alfred. Lovino simply stared, hugely confused by what was going on. Antonio's usual oblivious happiness was gone, replaced by an aura of impending doom. Feliciano looked equally confused, and Francis had just walked in, leaving the trio staring, dumbfounded. "What's going on?" The french student looked from the Spaniard standing off with Alfred, to the Italian brothers.

"Serious shit." Lovino responded.

"Look Alfred," Antonio smiled, a little too sweetly, his voice low and accent thick, "Leave Lovino alone, or _te voy a matar. _I'll kill you." He stared the other teen down, not faltering a bit when Alfred leaned forward, cocking an eyebrow.

"I'll make fun of that _butt pirate_ whenever I want." It barely came out as more than a whisper, deep and threatening. But Antonio didn't flinch at all, but scowled. Anger welled up in his chest, like an all-consuming fire and without warning, he balled his fist, bringing it up square into Alfred's jaw. Antonio's knuckles cracked as they contacted Alfred's jaw, and the sound could be heard throughout the room. Alfred grunted loudly as he was hit square in the jaw, and the entire room was perfectly silent. No one even dared to breathe.

Antonio smiled all-too-sweetly again, but his eyes burned with anger and disgust. Alfred Jones rubbed his jaw with his palm, which was quickly turning red and swollen. Scowling and glaring daggers at the Spaniard who had dared to throw a punch at him, the silence in the room dragged on until the teacher walked in. She stopped, confused, and looked around. Noticing the two boys who were standing off, she frowned. "Is everything alright?"

The silence following dragged on for a moment, until Antonio pipped up, "No, _Se__ñ__o__rita_. Everything is just fine!" He beamed, striding back to his group of friends. Alfred still glared, but said nothing.

The teacher didn't look entirely convinced, but decided not to get involved. "Alright class, today we'll be learning about garnishes..."

The lesson was dull, as the teacher droned on about how to make a carrot flowers and cucumber-twirls. Everyone was silently hoping the teacher would have a sudden stroke to spare them from the agony. Everyone but Antonio and Feliciano. They were both fascinated, listening intently and taking notes. Especially interested in the tomato-related things, Antonio was completely oblivious to the various whispers and stares, as everyone spoke of what he had done. They whispered about what would happen to him, who would win in a real fight, and what Alfred was going to do. He had a reputation for fucking up the people who wronged him.

"Alright, class. Now that we've learned about these, we're actually going to make them!" The class let out a collective sigh, holding in groans and complaints.

Antonio and Feliciano, however, did nothing to hold in their excitement out it. They high fived, Antonio laughing as Feliciano chattered about which of the ones they were making would work well with pasta.

"This'll be fun! Right, Lovi?" Antonio smiled, turning to him as he returned to their table with all the necessary foods and equipments on a neat green tray.

Lovino didn't respond. He stared into space, resting his chin on his back of his hand. He was clenching his fist so tightly his knuckles were white.

Antonio tried again as he sat down,speaking a bit louder this time, "Loviiii?" and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

The Italian brunette almost jumped out his chair as his name was called, slapping a hand to his chest and breathing heavily. "What the fuck, Antonio? You scared the _shit_ out me, you bastard! And _don't_ call me 'Lovi'!"

"Lo Siento, but we have to do this!" He pushed the tray of various foods and tools towards him.

Lovino mumbled various profanities under his breath, but took what he needed, popping a small cherry tomato in his mouth as he did so. Antonio was focused on making his small tomato garnish. He had a habit of slightly sticking his tongue out when he was focused, and did so as he carefully cut away at the small fruit. Finally, he finished. He held it up and admired it; a perfect tomato rose. "Hey, Lovi!" He smiled proudly, leaning against the other's shoulder.

"What do you want, bastard?" He looked over, his eyes falling on the carefully sculpted tomato. "What...?" He blushed, looking from the food to its maker.

Antonio chuckled, offering him the tomato. "It's a rose! For _mi tomate_!"

Lovino hesitated, scowled, and snorted, "I don't fucking want it," as he turned back to his own work. "I'm not your '_tomate_' either!"

"Aw, but Lovi~!" Antonio draped his arms over Lovino's shoulder, giving him a brief squeeze, "You look just like one when you blush!"

"_SHUT UP_!" Lovino tried to wiggle out of Antonio's grasp, but the Spaniard held him tight, teasing him and pinching his cheeks as he swore and promised to God he'd kill Antonio in the most gruesome ways possible.

Francis turned to Feliciano, chuckling. "They were _made_ for each other."

"Ve~!" Feliciano nodded in agreement, "Lovino looks so happy!"

After almost an hour of Antonio and Lovino fighting back and forth, (Or more, Antonio being affectionate and Lovino simply being Lovino) the class ended, and the four friends all went their separate ways.

Antonio headed for his last class of the day, human anatomy, and took his seat next to one of the other exchange students, a monstrous Russian man named Ivan Braginski.

"_Hola_, Ivan!" Antonio chirped happily as he took his seat.

"_Da_, hello Anthoni." The way Ivan smiled was innocent and childish, and Antonio liked him, despite the fact that the Russian had yet to say his name right.

_He seems like such a nice guy! Always smiling and happy! _

"So, Anthoni, I heard that you punched Alfred Jones."

"Really? You did?" Antonio blinked, and stopped doodling on the desk. How did he know about that already?

"Da. Everyone has heard." Ivan grinned, patting Antonio on the back with one bear-paw of a hand. "I must say, you have balls, comrade! I have wanted to do the same since I first met him!" The Russian had a strange laugh, and it was oddly quiet and rather high-pitched for such a huge man.

"Ah, _gracias_, Ivan." Antonio smiled back at him, turning his attention to the front as he endured yet another lecture that he didn't fully understand. He knew enough English to get the general idea of the lesson's topic, but when a big word or odd sentence order was used, he was lost. Ivan didn't seem to understand it all either, but he didn't even try. Instead of taking notes, he played with his scarf (Which he never took off).

That class dragged on forever, until finally the bell dismissed them. As Antonio tried to decide which class he was going to go to for his twenty minutes of free time, someone grabbed his arm, tugging him backwards.

"Hey, bastard. Come with me."

_Lovino_! Antonio didn't even have to look to know. Between the unnecessary use of the word 'bastard' and the distinct tune of Lovino's voice, he knew immediately.

"Okay!" He followed Lovino without question, grinning the entire time. _He likes me! _He was led into an empty hallway, where the Italian stopped him and leaned against the wall. He stared at the floor for a moment, until his gaze drifted up to Antonio. Tipping his head, the older teen started, "What did you want, Lovi?"

Scowling, he snapped, "Christ, for the last time, _don't_ call me Lovi! How many fucking-" He stopped himself, and sighed heavily. "Alright, look. I want to know why you punched Alfred _fucking_ Jones for my sake." He glared at Antonio, waiting for him to answer.

Antonio tipped his head. Wasn't it obvious? "Because, you're my friend, Lovi! And that's what friends do, right?"

"No! It isn't!" Lovino scowled, pushing himself off the wall and stepping closer to Antonio. Though he tried to look intimidating, the height difference between the two diminished the effect considerably. "Do you even know what the hell you did? There's a fucking _reason_ nobody fights back with Alfred!" His raised his hands as he spoke, waving them everywhere to emphasize his points.

Not really paying attention, Antonio just watched his _tomate_ be angry, while thinking, _cuuuute_! all the while as he spoke with his hands and tried to look scary.

Lovino continued, "It's because when you push him, he _shoves_ back! You mess with him, he _fucks_ with you! And now, you've dragged me into it! God _dammit_!"

"But Lovi, you did not hit him. I did."

"It doesn't matter! The shit I got before is going to be _nothing_ compared to what I'm going to fucking get now!" Lovino took a deep breath, his rant far from over, and started up again, "Just stay the hell out of other people's business! I can fight my own fucking battles! Do you _hear_ me, you bastard?"

"_Sì_. But Lovi, you do not win battles by yourself." Antonio pointed out. He didn't point out that if Lovino really could fight for himself, he wouldn't be the target of so much harassment.

"I don't _fucking_ care! I don't need your help, Antonio." Lovino huffed, leaning against the wall again. He was exhausted from so much yelling,and he _really_ needed a siesta right now.

Antonio didn't say anything, but contemplated what Lovino had said. He finally came to a decision. So, he stepped forward, and wrapped his arms around his _tomate_.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"You seem like you needed a hug~" Antonio chuckled, pulling Lovino away from the wall and patting his back comfortingly. "You aren't alone, Lovi." He stepped back, but kept his hands on the younger teen's shoulders. "No matter what you need, I'll be there to help you! I don't care what the problem is, okay?"

"..." Lovino squeezed his eyes shut, and fell forward into Antonio again. He inhaled sharply, and tears sprung into his eyes. His exhale came out as a choked sob, and he wordlessly cried into the Spaniard's shoulder. He had always tried so hard to keep his feelings locked up, and to never really show them. Yet here he was, letting them all out and crying on the shoulder of someone he had known for two days. And damn, did it feel good. He felt like for once, he wasn't being judged, or hated, or made fun of. Antonio didn't give a flying fuck if Lovino was gay, and accepted him for who he was, all of it, with no complaints. He let him cry on his shoulder, and spoke soft Spanish to comfort him. Honestly, despite his fuss, he was truly happy there was someone willing to fight for him.

That was all the help Lovino needed.

* * *

><p><strong>Quick Translation: <strong>

**_miel bajo el sol - _**_Honey in the Sun_

**_te voy a matar - _**_I'll kill you_

**A/N: **Hooooly fuck. Normally, I don't take this long to update. At all. I have one word in my defense.

_**SKYRIM.**_

Homgkdhfjdgfs. (The only reason this chapter was written is because my brother decided to take _my_ game from me.)

_Anyway_, _THANK YOU_ to everyone who reviewed! I love to read your thoughts and opinions, so thanks for taking the time to tell me what you think! _ESPECIALLY_ those who pointed out my mistakes! _Please_ continue to do so, so this fic can be the best possible! (My Spanish is _awful_! And I know there are fluent Spanish-speaking readers; you reviewed! )

Also, Ivan and Antonio are BBFF's (Best Bipolar Friends Forever).

And the exchange students are Antonio, Ivan, Kiku, and Berwald. (Though, he's not in it yet.) That's it. Everyone else is from the USA, or moved there at some point before this story takes place.

I forgot this in the first chapter, but I think its apparent that I don't own Hetalia. Seriously, why doesn't FF just have some universal "_Nobody here owns any of this shit_" somewhere?


	3. Tetas

For the past few days, Antonio had been _horribly_ busy. It seemed like every girl in the school wanted to meet him, and he was quite happy to meet them as well. When Lovino said, "You only have to be a _little_ nice to them, and they'll cling to you like fucking gnats," he found that to be very much _true_. In the matter of two days, he had gotten well over a dozen phone numbers. On top of that, he had promised several girls that he would love to spend some time after school with them. Lovino had scolded him for being too nice, while Francis had praised him for his skill in the art of "womanizing". Antonio had no idea what that meant, but took it as a compliment. At first he found it endearing and nice, but now...it was getting a bit out of hand.

And so unfortunately for Antonio, over the next few weeks, being so stupidly busy _and_ bad at English, he quickly found himself failing most of his classes. In fact, the only one he wasn't failing was cooking, and that was likely because Francis and the Vargas twins told him what to do. He sighed heavily one day as he stirred the pot simmering on the stove top. The pressure was really starting to get to him. He hadn't expected being an exchange student to be quite this hard.

"Aww, is something wrong, Antonio?" Feliciano looked over his shoulder at Antonio, still smiling slightly, but his usual happy (if somewhat retarded) grin was gone.

"Ah, I have to stay longer, after school today! I really don't want to, but..." Antonio didn't finish his sentence, dipping his pinkie in the pot and tasting the contents. He didn't know what the recipe they were making was called, but it tasted wonderful.

"Why do you have to do that?" Francis leaned on the counter, legs crossed and arms resting on one another. The group couldn't move on with the project until the broth in Antonio's pot was done.

"Because I'm 'failing'. The teacher says I need 'extra credit' to pass."

"Seriously? You're failing? Failing what?" Lovino finally contributed to the conversation. After being at the receiving end of Antonio's aid, he had warmed up to him ever so slightly. His usual aggressive insults were much the same, and he was still as angry and spiteful as ever. But, he spoke to Antonio more often, and had once managed to hold a regular conversation for the entirety of two minutes. (Yes, Antonio had counted.)

"Everything."

"_Everything_? Even this class?"

"Ah, no. Not _this_ class, but everything else...yes."

Francis clicked his tongue, shaking his head at Antonio. "I love spending time with my lady-friends as much as everyone does, but Antonio, even _I _know there's a limit!" He chuckled, winking at Antonio and wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Lovino, who had been watching the blonde, now turned to Antonio. "_Lady-friends_?" He raised his eyebrows questioningly. Lovino couldn't deny it, the thought of Antonio spending time with girls (or anyone that wasn't him, really) made his chest squirm and burn with jealousy.

"Yes! The girls, they come to me and say, 'Antonio! You will come spend time with me after school, _s__í_?' and I say, '_S__í_!' and then she gives me her phone number!" He waved his cell phone about proudly, which was quickly snatched from his hand by Lovino. He scrolled through the Spaniard's contacts, his eyebrows going higher and higher.

"Really, Antonio?"

"What?"

"_Gordo_? _Ojos Verdes_? _Pelo Rubio_? Do you know any of these girls actual names?"

"Ah, no."

The jealous feeling in Lovino's chest faded, and he internally smirked with victory. Antonio didn't really give a damn about these girls, he was just too nice to say no. He continued scrolling through the names, rolling his eyes at the odd names he had given to some of them. "Who the hell is _Darth Vader_?"

"A girl! She breathes so heavy! Like this," He cupped his hands over his mouth, panting through his fingers. It did sound a lot like Darth Vader, and Lovino was pretty sure he knew who Antonio was talking about. He shook his head, his quest through Antonio's phone list continuing. He was so absorbed in his task, he failed to notice Francis nudge Antonio in the ribs with his elbow, eyebrows up and gesturing towards him. Antonio beamed and fist-pumped silently, his thoughts something like, _"Yes! Lovino gives a damn!"_

Lovino had to pause and look up, however, when he found his own name in the contacts list. He had given Antonio his number a few weeks back when the Spaniard had bothered him for it for a full forty-five minutes. Now, he occasionally received a few texts, and rarely calls, from Antonio. But instead of some vague physical description like the girls in his phone, Lovino saw that in Antonio's contact list, he was under, "_Lovi! (heartheartheart) :D_"

He didn't know whether to puke, cry, or punch Antonio in his stupid face. Blushing like mad, he stared at it a bit longer. This was a borderline revelation for Lovino. To someone, he wasn't just anybody. He was worthy of a nickname, _three_ hearts, and a retarded smiley face after. A _male_ someone, he might add. His look of confusion quickly turned to a scowl, however. As endearing as it may seem, it was still _hella_ creepy. "What is this!" Lovino barked, glaring up at Antonio.

"A cell phone?"

Dear God, no wonder he was failing everything! "No, you fucking idiot! _This_!" He shoved the phone in Antonio's face, pointing to his contact I.D.

"Oh!" Antonio beamed, taking the phone back from the angry Italian. "Isn't it cute? Just like you, Lovi!" He laughed, holding the phone high above his head as Lovino tried to steal it, growling insults and profanities.

"Change it to something normal!" He snarled, jumping to try and reach the device Antonio held, no, tauntingly dangled above his head. _Why does he have to be so much taller than me? Fuck! _Lovino finally gave up with a loud sigh, exasperated and hungry. "God damnit. Is that done yet?" He gestured towards the pot, which Antonio was stirring.

"Ah...No. Five more minutes."

"So, ah, what were we talking about before you two started flirting?" Francis shrugged his shoulders, glancing lazily from Antonio to Lovino.

"We weren't flirting! It was fighting, damnit!"

"Sorry, _fighting_." He rolled his eyes, sarcasm biting his words. "Anyway, something about Antonio failing?"

Feliciano raised his hand, like he needed to be called on to speak. Antonio waved a hand at him, his rapid chattering starting immediately.."Ve~ Antonio! You should get a tutor!"

"A tutor? What is this...?"

"It's someone who you spend extra time with outside of school to help you learn. Like a teacher outside of the classroom."

"Sounds dumb," Antonio frowned slightly. He didn't like the teachers much anyway, why would he want to spend more time with them than he had to? Though, he supposed he wasn't getting anywhere in his current situation. An extra hour with didn't sound like fun at all.

"Ah, but it isn't! Tutors are other students! Why don't you ask one of the pretty girls to help you out, eh?" Francis poked him in the ribs again, casting Lovino a sly glance.

_The fuck was that for?_

"Lovi! You should tutor me! You're smart!" Antonio beamed, grabbing Lovino's wrists.

"Hell the _fuck_ no." Lovino could feel the heat of a blush creeping up his cheeks again. "I can barely stand the eighty minutes I have to spend with you in this class, why would I subject myself to spending even more time with you _out_ of it?"

"Because it'll be _fun_ Lovi! Just you and me, alone togeth-"

"_Shut up_. Right now." Did he have any idea how terribly suggestive he sounded right now, or was he just fucking thick? Francis was not-so-subtly snickering behind his arm, Feliciano was just fucking oblivious, and Antonio was still staring into his eyes like some kind of fucking dog. For a brief moment, Lovino thought he saw a hint of sadness flash in Antonio's eyes, but that was it. And it was gone as quickly as it came, and Antonio was still oblivious, idiot self.

"Oh...okay Lovi. I'll find a tutor soon enough!" He let Lovino's wrists fall to his sides, and quickly turned the burner below the pot off.

Damn his dignity. Lovino wanted to tutor Antonio, that much was certain. He was to tutor him on a _lot_ of things. Antonio seemed to be the first person who actually gave a damn about Lovino and what he felt, what he was going through, and what he wanted, so why did he insist on being such an asshole to him all the time? Damn his pride.

Antonio seemed to take all of his hostility in stride though, either ignoring it completely or not getting it in the first place. Some part of Lovino wondered, even hoped, Antonio knew it wasn't true. There was nothing he could do about it now, though. He had blown his chance. Well, fuck.

Antonio did wonder why Lovino could be so mean sometimes. He had never been cruel to him, he had actually punched someone in the face for him. But, it didn't bother Antonio much. He simply took it as an unchangeable part of his little Lovi's personality. He had hoped Lovino would say yes to tutoring him, but he really hadn't gotten his hopes up all _that_ much.

So, as the class ended, the group of four went their separate ways. Antonio sat through his next classes, still bored as usual but trying his best to pay at least a little more attention than usual. It didn't help that Ivan was continually poking him and bothering him in his last class of the day. While normally Antonio wouldn't hesitate to poke back, starting muffled fights underneath the desks, now he actually wanted to try and get this stuff done. He had considered Ivan for one of his tutors, but it seemed that would be a very bad idea. He smacked the Russian's hand with his pencil, pointing it at the front. Ivan seemed to catch the hint.

With the last class of the day finally over, Antonio had ten minutes to mess around until he had to go meet with his first-block teacher about his failing grade. As he rummaged through his locker, his arm was gently touched, and slender fingers wrapped around his forearm. He looked up, and recognized it as one of the girls who he had met a few days prior. What was her name? He knew her face, and in his phone she was, "_Tetas_", for good reason.

"Hi there, Antonio!"

"_Hola!_" He took a few heavy books out of his bag, lifting them up to the top shelf of his locker.

"Are you doing anything today?" She drummed her well-manicured fingers over his arm, looking up at him expectantly.

"Ah, _s__í_! I have to go talk to my teacher. I am failing, you see, so I need extra credit." He shrugged, not at all bothered by the fact that he was failing, but more that this was taking up his afternoon.

"Oh, that's too bad. Well, if you aren't doing so well, maybe you come over after school sometime and _study_ with me?"

Antonio suddenly felt much less inclined to tell her one of the classes he was failing was human anatomy. "Ah, sure, but you see –" He paused, looking for anything to get him out of this situation. Even he wasn't completely stupid about this kind of scenario, and he wasn't all that interested. Sure, _tetas_ was pretty, but she was...what Antonio could only describe as a _puta_, and he wasn't sure what kind of horribly disease he'd catch by even standing too close to her. That was when Lovino walked by. Poor Lovino, with the worst (or maybe the best) timing possible. " –I already have a tutor!" He broke away from her grasp, pushing past people to grab Lovino by the arm.

"HEY! What the hell are you doing, bastard?" Lovino yelped, taken completely off-guard by Antonio's sudden attack.

"Please, please help me for one minute? As payback, for the other day!" Antonio clasped his hands together, eyes wide and pleading.

"_Fine_."

"Thank you!" He dragged Lovino through the small crowd of people. Whether Antonio noticed it or not, he and Lovino were holding hands as he did so. The honey-eyed Italian did, however, and his face was a fierce shade of red as he arrived by Antonio's locker. The first thing he did was lock eyes with the-slut-who-shall-not-be-named, and narrowed his own. She scoffed, throwing Antonio a look of disgust.

"Really?"

"Yes. Really. Why?"

She curled her lip as her eyes fell on Lovino again. He stood behind Antonio, glaring. "Slut, get out of here. My crotch is staring to itch from being within ten fucking feet of you!"

"Tch! Faggot." She flipped him off, and walked away.

There was a small pause, until Antonio whirled around, giving Lovino a rough hug. "Thank you!" He ruffled the Italian's hair, and let him go.

Lovino scoffed, glaring down the hallway like she could be lingering anywhere. "I've dealt with that bitch for long enough."

Antonio smiled softly, pulling him into another hug. "I'm sorry, Lovi. It must be hard..." He trailed off, patting Lovino's back a few times before he pulled away again, placing his hands on the younger's shoulders.

Lovino looked away, not wanting to make eye contact with Antonio for fear of once again crying in front of him. "It's okay. I'm used to it by now."

Antonio frowned. He gently shook Lovino by his shoulders, grabbing his eye contact. "No, you should not be 'used to it'. It should not _happen_." He huffed, clearly displeased with the idea of Lovino being the target of harassment for so long. However, he couldn't stew on it for long, he glanced up at the clock and found that he was three minutes late for his meeting with the teacher. "_Mierda_! I'm late!" He yelped, letting go of Lovino, slamming his locker, and turning to wave to him all at once.

"Wait!" Lovino reached out, grabbing his wrist before he could escape.

"What?" Antonio turned, a little surprised by Lovino's actions.

Lovino stared at the floor, not daring to pause in what he was going to say, for fear of Antonio running off down the hallway. "I'll tutor you, damnit!" He lifted his gaze to meet Antonio's, who beamed.

"Wonderful! Now ah...I must go." He gently shook his arm free, and booked it down the hallway.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Ahaha, I haven't updated in foreeever, and I'm really sorry about that! It's been like, over a month now? Shitfuckhahahdamnit.

I've been really distracted, first by Skyrim, then by Skyward Sword, (I ragequit fighting Demise) then by Amnesia, then by DnD, then by having a social life, then by illness. (I spent all Christmas Day throwing up c: ) BUT. I managed to get this done! Happy non-discriminatory winter holiday season, all!

THANK YOU once again to everyone who reviewed!

Domomomomomo(momomomo?): Ah! I know I shouldn't haven't used wonderful little America, but I didn't know who to pick on. England was my next best bet, and he's quite mean as well. As far as America's dick-facedness, all I really have to say is...He's a _freshman_.

To everyone else (so mean!): I'm glad you all like the story! Your reviews make me super happy!

I'm sorry if nothing got done/this chapter was short/and badly written, I'm a bit out of practice and not quite feeling in the writing mood, but I felt bad for making you guys wait so long... djkfhajfd. Firetruck. If you see any mistakes, please please please let me know. Also, Tetas is some random slut. High school has a lot of those.

Also, if you feel like sharing stupid crap with me, asking questions, or generally following me on the path of awesome, I made a tumblr~! (Like, seriosuly five minutes ago. There's nothing on it. If you care, the link is on my profile. Ideas, questions, and other random wonderfuls are (or soon will be) on it!)


	4. El Regalo más Grande

Antonio sighed, staring blankly at the piece of paper in front of him. He was a bit frustrated with the whole situation he was in right now. He was failing this class, and expected to catch up, but how could he do that when the words were too big for him to understand? He had, admittedly, slacked a bit in English class back in Spain...but he still liked to consider himself fluent. His frustration vanished when he decided to get something to eat and forgot all about the assignment.

Antonio really hated American food. It tasted good, yes, but he knew what was in it. Back home in Spain he was fairly certain most of the preservatives used in the food were illegal. Luckily his host family was nice enough to buy organic food for him. So he leaned against the kitchen counter, rubbing his hands over the soft skin of a tomato. For some reason, he really liked how it felt. It was kind of strange, but velvety and comforting. He'd love to have a bed made of tomato skins, or something that felt similar. To lay in the sheets and cuddle a blanket made of it...He was caught up in his daydream, taking thoughtful bites out of his tomato as he considered the idea. He couldn't find a single downside to the idea.

Without warning, his phone that was hidden away in his back pocket vibrated, hissing loudly against the granite of the counter top and sending a shiver up his spine. He entered his touch screen's combination, dragging the top bar down to see the text was from Lovino.

_I'm trying to get in and your door is locked! Open it you stupid fuck! _

"Oh!" he raced to the front door, unlocking it and grinning sheepishly at Lovi, who looked less than pleased. He had completely forgotten that he was coming over for tutoring. Whoops. The disgruntled boy stepped in, his hair wind-whipped and cheeks bright red.

"You idiot! You forgot, didn't you?" He scowled at Antonio, peeling off his light coat and throwing it at Antonio.

"No! I did not forget! I would never forget you!" Antonio put the coat into the closet, chuckling (nervously) as Lovino stared him down. There was a long silence in which they both simply looked at each other, and Antonio finally caved.

"...Si, I forgot. I am sorry!"

Lovino huffed, rolling his eyes. "Bastard, it's cold outside!"

To Antonio's knowledge, it really wasn't all that cold outside. Maybe 50 degrees at its worst. But, Lovino's thin frame was likely less tolerant to the cold. Antonio didn't argue, just laughed and put the last piece of tomato in his mouth.

"Alright retard, what did you need help with?" Led up to Antonio's room, he noticed the books and papers scattered around the bed.

"Ah, it is a class about books."

English, go figure. "What kind of books?"

"Uuuuuh..." Antonio had to think a moment. In all honesty, he had no idea. "Something about history, I think."

"Wait, did you take Novel History?" Lovino stared at him, dumbfounded. Upon closer inspection, he recognized one of the books from when he had taken that class. Did that fucktard really decide to take a class that involved reading some of the hardest, longest, most boring books known to man? He wasn't exactly a stellar English student.

"Yes! That one!" Antonio beamed, his smile not faltering under the cold glare Lovino was giving him.

"You, are an idiot." What did Antonio want him to do? Read the books to him? Because he was _not_ going to do that. He let out the air he was holding in, and rolled his eyes. Antonio's stupidity was unmatched, it seemed. But at the same time, it was kind of endearing. Like when you play catch with a dog, but only pretend to throw the ball.

Antonio walked around, plopping himself down in the small nest he had made for himself in the midst of the papers and books. He shoved a pile forward, meshing it with another and ruffling it all out of place. He patted the empty spot, expecting Lovino to sit.

"Alright," he took his spot, cross-legged as he looked for some glimmer of hope that would get them started among the mess the Spaniard had created. "what book are you reading?"

"The Grapes of Wrath, I think..." He paused then looked at Lovi. "What's wrath?"

Oh dear God, this was going to be a long night. "Wrath is..." Lovino struggled to find a word that Antonio would understand. Failing, he tired instead, "_Ira?_"

Antonio stared at him dumbly for a second. Lovino was about to get up and walk the fuck out, but suddenly something clicked in Antonio's head. His eyes lit up, and he beamed. "Oh!" He chuckled, picking up the book. "I thought you were saying an English word for a second!" His chuckle faded, and a long silence ensued. "So...Why are the fruits angry?"

Lovino groaned, burying his face into his hands. He sighed, rubbing his temples for a moment. "It's a metaphor, Antonio." He winced as he realized that Antonio probably had no idea what that meant. On cue, Antonio opened his mouth to speak, but Lovino held a finger up to his face to stop him. "It means that it shouldn't be taken literally. It's a symbol for something else."

"You're so smart, Lovi!" Blushing darkly, Lovino picked up the book. "So, what page are you on?" The sooner they started the sooner he could go home.

"One."

Oh_ God._

* * *

><p>About three hours later, Antonio had finally gotten to the end of chapter one. Whether he finally grasped it, or he just given up on asking questions, Lovino didn't care. He was exhausted, and never wanted to hear anything about the dust bowl or the South ever again. Antonio was sitting upright, nose buried in the book, but Lovino had gotten uncomfortable with that position quickly, and now lay flat on his back, staring at Antonio's light fixture. Seriously, that's how bored he was. It was like seeing how long you could stare at the sun, only less painful.<p>

Antonio finally let out a loud sigh, twisting around to pop his spine several times. He fell back, his shoulders landing heavily on Lovino's stomach.

"Ow! Watch it, you bastard!" He gave Antonio a swift smack the stomach, forcing a loud, "oof!" followed by chuckles.

"Get off me. Now."

"Why? You are comfy, like a pillow~"

Lovino blushed fiercely, internally blaming it on his irritation. "I'll hit you again!"

"You never really hit that hard." Antonio smirked, locking eyes with Lovino's.

_Challenge_ accepted_, motherfucker._

Lovino punched him in the shoulder, not as hard as he could, but still hard enough. He thought so, anyway.

Antonio just laughed at him, patting his offended shoulder once. "You are so mean, Lovi! I think that might bruise!" His voice didn't have a hint of anything _but s_arcasm in it.

"Suck my dick you bastard." He pouted, crossing his arms and looking away.

"Okay."

Lovino froze. He sounded dead serious.

Antonio, on the other hand, knew that Lovino wasn't being serious at all with that comment. But it was still fun to see his eyes widen, cheeks flush, and turn stiff as a board. In all honesty, Antonio could go either way with it. If Lovino was kidding, so was Antonio. But if he wasn't... Exchange students weren't allowed to have physical relationships, and he could get deported for it, but he wouldn't tell anyone.

Lovino finally dared to look at Antonio, who was owlishly blinking at him, completely straight-faced. He wouldn't deny that getting any kind of sexual gratification from Antonio would be a dream come true, the man was gorgeous, but Lovino wasn't sure if he was ready for that kind of thing, really. At the same time, he worried about being too late. Most other kids his age had had sex or something at some point...Did being gay make him an exception...?

He didn't know if Antonio knew, but he did have a...slight crush on the boy. He didn't dare show it to him though. What if Antonio found out and turned on him, like everyone else had? Antonio would tolerate him as a friend, but as soon as he found out he had a gay crush on him, he would consider it too far and go? Lovino had thought about this often, and fretted over it almost nightly. He didn't want to lose Antonio as a friend, but could he handle hiding the truth from him?

Occasionally something would happen that would bring Lovino's spirits soaring, like a touch, or stopping to talk to him in the hallway. But there were times when he saw Antonio doing something that would crush any hope of Antonio's affection. It was a roller coaster he wanted to get off of, but couldn't.

Antonio raised a hand a hand to poke Lovino in the chest. Was he okay? He had been quiet a long time. Antonio _really_ hoped he hadn't scared him.

Lovino huffed, and finally answered, "I wasn't being s-serious, idiot." He slapped Antonio's hand away from him, avoiding eye contact. Lovino could practically feel the awkward radiating around the room, but Antonio smiled, oblivious or just ignoring it.

"I joked too!" Antonio smiled, trying to meet Lovino's eyes. But he had turned his head, forcing Antonio to give up. He waited a moment, opening his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Lovino.

"Antonio, are you gay?" Pure dread crawled in his chest, but Lovino had to know. What was the worst that could happen? He would be rejected? It was just high school, he rationalized, any negative consequences would all go away with Antonio at the end of the year, hopefully.

"Oh. Well..." Antonio paused. He couldn't think of a good way to say this in English. He tried, though. "I think...I like woman, yes but boys are..." He struggled, even waving his hands like they showed his thought process and explained everything. "...nice too...?" He finished lamely, letting his hands fall. "Why, Lovi?"

Why did Lovino have feelings for this idiot? He'd taken dumps with a higher IQ than him. "Guess." He deadpanned.

Antonio thought for a moment, until he smiled, answering, "So you do not feel alone." His smile faded as he received a downcast look from the golden-eyes boy. "¿Què?"

Lovino sighed. "I suppose that's true too, but not what I was getting at." He wiggled under Antonio's weight uncomfortably. Was he going to have to draw him a fucking picture? "Because I _like _you, you dumbfuck!"

_Oh._ Antonio had to take a moment to take that in. He had heard "like" used that way before when girls talked to him, but coming from Lovino it felt strange. But...it was directed at him. He was the direct object in that sentence. So...Despite how mean and insulting Lovino was, he had love for Antonio? Was it just Lovino, or were all Americans like this? In Spain you just told someone you liked them. Done. But, whatever. Antonio smiled, the pieces falling together in his head at last. "You know what Lovi?"

Lovino's breath caught in his throat. _Shit, shit, shit, I've made a terrible mistake! _

"Ilike you too." He smiled, rolling over into his stomach (a movement Lovino didn't appreciate), and looked up at him. Lovino was an uncanny shade of red, and his eyes were glittering. It wasn't until a fat tear rolled down Lovino's face that Antonio realized _why. "Lovi!" _He yelped, inching forward on his knees and wiping it away with his thumb. "Lovi! Why are you... What did I...?" Confused, he could only gape stupidly and wait for an answer.

"You didn't do anything, you idiot!" He sniffed loudly, hating himself for crying but... "Damnit, I'm happy! That's why I'm crying! How thick are you, anyway?" He hiccuped, trying to inhale and exhale rhythmically to get himself under control. It didn't work.

"Oh! I was scared for a minute..." Antonio smiled again, leaning forward over Lovino. He rested his forehead gently against Lovino's, wiping another tear. Antonio tugged under his own shirt collar, bringing the string of one of his necklaces up. He always wore two, both small crosses. The small black one twirled and shone as Antonio lifted it over his head and around Lovino's neck. He gently let it go, the metal slipping under his shirt and coming to rest on his sternum.

Without warning, the brunette pulled Antonio into a fierce hug, sniffling into his shoulder. Antonio held him, ruffling his hair and occasionally patting his back.

"I can't believe it took you this long, idiot. I'm not exactly _subtle._" finally able to breathe normally, Lovino pouted. "But then again you're not exactly observant."

"Hey!" Antonio laughed, despite the insult, gently pulling Lovino away from him. The younger huffed one last time, getting that crying feeling out of his chest. He glared at Antonio for not taking his insult seriously, but wasn't in the mood to complain anymore, oddly.

Antonio looked over at his clock, finally decided that the time might be important. Lovino yelped as he realized his curfew was barely ten minutes away, and scrambled to collect all of his things. Antonio helped a little, mostly just waited for Lovino to stuff his bag. He smiled as the shorter teen bustled past him and to the door, following him lazily down the hallway to open the outside door for him.

He lived just two blocks down, so walking home wasn't an issue at all, despite all of Lovino's complaints about it. "Bye, Lovi!" Antonio was taken by surprise with another hug, and the muffled, "thank you," from Lovino before he slipped out the door.

Antonio shut the door, suddenly tired. He fell into bed, wrapping his arms around his pillow, smiling as he drifted to sleep.

Lovino walked home, the wind having died down and the bite of October melted away. It wasn't unpleasant, but he missed the sound of night birds and crickets. The whole walk home, he replayed what just happened in his head, clutching the necklace Antonio had given him to assure it wasn't some hopeless dream.

For the first time in a long time, he smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **HOLY FUCK.

I haven't updated since a little after Chrtistmas! I. AM. SO. SORRY.

I blame it _completely_ on World of Warcraft. I started playing it and...It all went downhill from there. The only reason this got written is because my cuntwagon of an internet connection won't let me on right now D

Apologies aside, I really hope this wasn't a sap fest that would make Matthew sick of syrup. I tried to avoid it as much as possible, but FUCK IT. It happened. Oh well.

Anyway, back to WoW.


	5. Un Amigo en Necesidad!

After Lovino left, Antonio crawled back onto his bed, book in hand. He sighed, and resumed his work of reading. It took him forever in a day, as he highlighted every word he didn't know and looked it up in a dictionary. Even after just a few pages, he was ready to throw the book into a fireplace. "All of this in three weeks." He flipped through the several hundred pages, and set it down. What was that website Gilbert had told him about? Sparknotes? Antonio was really considering it at this point.

Kicking all of his work off the bed and into a mess on the floor, he stripped off his shirt and crawled under the blankets, about ready to fall asleep. Flicking the switch to the only light source in this room—a lamp—He hummed contently, folding his arms under his pillow. He tried to close his eyes and simply drift off, but his thoughts kept him awake. Lovi... He smiled, his chest tightening in an indescribable, yet incredibly happy and comfortable, way. He'd had girlfriends and a boyfriend before, and he always felt this way. But it seemed that the way Lovino wouldn't give in to the "mushy teenager norms" made the prospect of this relationship more exciting. Antonio loved romance, and he was good at it, but a challenge was always fun. Especially considering this relationship was illegal, so to speak, for him.

But more than that, he didn't just feel wanted, but _needed_. In the past few months, Lovino had confided in him, and relied on Antonio. It wasn't a bond based on physical attraction, as most of his relationships had turned out to be, but one of trust.

But maybe he was getting ahead of himself. He'd been officially in a relationship for an _hour._ Still, Antonio didn't like to cut corners with this kind of stuff. All or nothing. Some said that was a dumb idea, but he didn't think so. Even if a relationship ended and he was hurt, he could still think back on how he tried and did his best to make it work. No regrets.

Finally truly tired, he rolled into his side and drifted to sleep.

Lovino made it home exactly twenty-nine seconds before his curfew was up and his grandfather would scold him. "I hate being a teenager." He longed for the day when he could do what he wanted with no restrictions. "I mean, seriously. He trusts me to drive a car, but not stay out past nine? What the hell?" He muttered to himself, but didn't mean any of his words. He couldn't bring himself to be angry. He was... He couldn't even describe it.

For once, he could be...who he wanted to. With Antonio, he felt anything was possible.

It had been his incredibly catholic grandfather's idea to raise the Vargas twins in a religious neighborhood, thinking it would, "Instill morals in them and make them better people." That may have worked for Feli, but for Lovino it was a personal hell—and his Grandfather had no idea. It was funny, really, that their Papa had forced this on them. He may have believed strongly in God, but that was the only way he was religious. Even just a few years ago, new girls were coming home with him every night. He drank, he slept around, he sinned like no other.

It was hypocrisy at its finest. Should Feliciano even so much as mention a pretty girl, he'd get a long talk about how such thoughts were sinful. Lovino just avoided talking to him about such things.

If only he knew his grandson was a homosexual. He'd probably send him to one of those reform camps that tried to make gay kids straight. Shuddering at the thought, he shut the door to his room behind him.

_That'll never happen. _

The next day, Antonio hummed in the car, grinning as he leaned on his knuckles as he looked out the window.

"You're in an especially good mood today, which is really saying something!" His host mother commented.

"Yes, I am! It's just going to be a good day, I think!" She chuckled, and Antonio returned to watching the country fly by. He was in a good mood, although it was slightly mixed with sadness. He had been reminded that morning by his host father that he was due to switch families in two weeks. He liked his host family now, a quiet couple in their mid-forties. They had no kids of their own, but hosted exchange students almost every year to make up for it.

_How do they handle that kind of sadness? I wouldn't be able to. _

He gave his host mother a quick hug as he as dropped off, chirping, "Bye Mom!"

Once in the school he realized how early he was. Still half an hour before class stared. Lovino and Feliciano never got there until the last possible minute. So, he simply began to wander around. There were a few wings he'd never been in, and he decided to explore them. He found the art rooms, the animal science rooms, and finally stepped foot in the gymnasium. It was all very interesting, but only took him ten minutes.

He had begun walking in circles, bored, until he noticed Ivan heading towards him. "Hey!" He waved, receiving a grin and a nod back. Ivan reminded Antonio of an oversized wolf. He always had a predatory grin on his face, moved with surprising speed, and was always looking around. But, Antonio expected nothing less of a Russian. Either way, he liked him a lot. He felt they could relate in a lot of ways, thought none that he could think of off the top of his head. It was just a feeling then. Not a romantic feeling, but a brotherly one.

"Privyet, Antonio!"

"You got my name right!" He laughed, and gave Ivan the most bromantic hug he could manage.

Ivan looked for confused for a second, not really aware he'd been getting it wrong at all, but the thought quickly passed and he was smiling again. "I heard you had Italian boy over last night." Ivan grinned, raising his eyebrows and looking down at him.

"Si! I did!" He smiled back, "It was so much fun!"

"I am sure it was, Antonio!" The Russian chuckled darkly, patting him on the back.

There was a long moment of silence, with Antonio smiling to himself and Ivan looking at him expectantly.

Wait. _wait, wait wait!_ Yelping as he realized what Ivan had really meant, he punched his shoulder, only succeeding in crackling his knuckles painfully and making Ivan laugh harder. "That's not what happened!" He pleaded, grabbing Ivan's coat and shaking him (or at least trying to) back and forth.

"Well, Lovino is gay, da? It was natural to assume." Ivan reasoned.

"It doesn't mean I am!"

"...Well, _are _you?"

"..._Si—_but that doesn't mean anything!" Antonio blushed hotly, giving Ivan another light punch for good measure. Ivan began chuckling all over again, despite Antonio's pleas.

That made the Russian the only person aside from Lovi who knew he was at least partly gay now, though he suspected that Francis knew as well. "Don't tell anyone Ivan! If anyone knew me and Lovi were together I will get deported!"

"Together? You never said that." Ivan grinned at him again, but Antonio was clearly serious about this. His bright green eyes were open wide, looking up at him like a small child. Or perhaps a dog. Yes, a dog seemed more fitting. " Da, da. I won't! We are friends!"

"Promise?"

"Da."

"Really?"

"If I tell anyone, I will never drink Vodka again."

Antonio found this answer satisfying. _I think that's saying a lot for him. It would be like me giving up tomatoes forever! _Antonio didn't even want to try imagining it.

"H-hey Antonio." From behind, a barely audible whisper caught his attention. He turned to look, Ivan doing the same. To his surprise, it was the soft-spoken boy from one of his classes, the one who knew everything about polar bears.

"Hola...Martin?" Antonio grinned sheepishly as he realized he couldn't remember the boy's name.

"Matthew." He responded without missing a beat, like he'd been doing it his whole life.

"Matvey!" Ivan smiled fondly. "I remember you! We were in our science class together!"

Matthew took a step back as he was addressed, his voice shaking as he responded, "Y-yes, at the beginning of the year. But you t-transferred out." He returned his attention to Antonio. "S-so I was hoping you could help me out a bit, Antonio."

"Oh, with what?"

"Well, you punched my brother in the face," _Oh dang. _"so I know you don't like him much, but I hope that doesn't extend to me."

Antonio smiled gently, shrugging Ivan off his shoulders. He was heavy, and leaning on Antonio's back to hear better was starting to hurt. "Of course not!" He had no idea Matthew was Alfred's brother until just then, anyway. "But how can I help you?" Antonio tipped his head. _Help with our class together, I'm sure._

"W-well...I just need to ta-" The bell rang, signaling that classes were going to start in a few minutes. "Oh! I-I have to go, my class is all the way across the school! I'll find you later, okay?"

"Oh, okay." Antonio watched as he left, hustling down he hallway and weaving through people.

"He is strange." Ivan commented.

"Si." He sighed as he stood up, stretching his arms above his head. "You're strange too. You both have purple eyes!"

"Da, we do! We have something in common!" Ivan smiled happily, waving to Antonio as he headed across the hall for his class. Antonio was still in the hallway when the bell rang, making him yelp and scurry down the hallway, stepping in and pretending it had never happened.

The teacher had by now accepted the fact that Antonio was late every day, and thought nothing of it. Taking his seat next to Francis, he tried to sit still and focus. But he couldn't! He was too excited! He wanted to tell Francis. Right now. He drummed his fingers on the desk impatiently, waiting for the teacher to stop talking. Three times, the blonde painfully hit his fingers with his pencil to make him stop. It failed every time, until he raised it above his hand, sharp end down, threatening to stab him.

As the class was given work time and everyone started chattering amongst themselves, Francis let out a long sigh, resting his cheek on his palm and turning to Antonio. "So, what is it you're clearly dying to tell me?" He smirked slightly, eyes slightly narrowed.

He could tell Antonio wanted to tell him something? Well, usually Antonio was taking a siesta this hour, so his jittering was probably a clue. He beamed, leaning closer to Francis. "Me and Lovi are dating now~!"

"Ah! Congratulatio-oof!" He was cut short as Antonio pulled him into a happy hug, laughing all the while.

"Let-me-go!" Releasing his grip, Francis ran his fingers through his hair, genuinely upset. Once he felt satisfied he was the paragon of perfection again, he smiled. "Oh ho, I'm glad that you finally did it! It's about time! How long has the dry spell been? A few months?"

"Dry spell?" Antonio looked at him blankly. "What's that?"

"Ah, you know. 'Putting your pencil in the sharpener', 'Toasting the bread', 'tossing the salad' 'Bring them around town', 'lick it and stick it'...?

Antonio still wasn't getting it. He looked even more confused then before.

"Did you have sex with him?" He deadpanned.

Antonio's eyes went wide, "No! No I did not! Francis!" He waved his hands defensively, getting nothing but chuckles from him. Antonio frowned, leaning over and shaking his head. "All my friends are perverts!"

Francis just laughed at him, patting his back and soothing him with a, "You're no better."

The next class, Antonio was as upbeat as ever, still trying to get Kiku to come out of his shell.

"Would you try it if I made you one?"

"No, probably not."

"But churros are sooo-oo good!" Seriously, how could anyone say no to a Churro? Antonio was starting to think that Kiku was either made of stone, or _really _hated him. Which confused Antonio greatly. He hadn't done anything to make (most) anyone hate him. He certainly didn't feel that way about anybody.

Well, he had an intense dislike of Alfred, but the only person he could truly say he hated was Arthur. Not only was he jeering Alfred on from the sidelines when it came to Lovino, many times he was stepping forward and and being a dick, too. But unlike Alfred, most of the things Arthur did were subtle, but still worse than Alfred. While the things the blue-eyed boy said were blunt, straight forward, and usually obvious and repetitive to the point where Lovino had gotten numb to them, Arthur had a way of making a small comment in the middle of class, or when Lovino was around friends or a teacher or his brother that made it so much worse then anything Alfred could do.

And on top of all that, Arthur had once beaten him in a heated game of Battleship when they had a sub one day. He never let that go, and was always rubbing it in Antonio's face. _Jerk._

But Kiku wasn't Arthur. So Antonio still didn't understand the boy's shyness and refusal to be social in any form. But, never the one to give up easily, Antonio would keep trying. Someday it would pay off. Hopefully.

Antonio's afternoon got considerably better when the fourth class came around. It wasn't a day when they were cooking, but forced to watch a documentary on a man's trip through a grocery store. Antonio thought he was going to die of boredom.

Still, Lovino looked...better today. His near permanent scowl was a little softer, his cold stare a little warmer. Overall, he just looked like a nicer person. Deep down he probably wasn't, but Antonio could dream. Lovino certainly looked cuter when he wasn't being the poster child of hate and rage, certainly. Still bored, he played with the sleeve of Lovino's shirt. Lovino dealt with it, which made Antonio want to explode with happiness. That's improvement! Normally doing something like that would get him slapped or punched or poked in the eye.

For now it seemed, though, everything was right in Antonio's world. He hoped it would be the same for Lovino as well.

After their class, Lovino and Antonio walked out of class and down the hall together, side by side. They only had a 20-minute study period before the end of the day, and Antonio followed Lovi to his usual dwelling, the deserted room of his political class. Even the teacher wasn't there most days, off wandering the halls or visiting others.

Lovi sighed as he shrugged his bags off his shoulders, falling into a chair to look at Antonio, who leaned against a desk across from him. Antonio smiled all the while, despite Lovino's flat stare.

"Antonio, how do you do it?"

"What?"

"Be happy all the time. You're always so..." He lifted his hands and wiggled his fingers, "...excited."

"Be happy? That's easy Lovi! You just have to forget all the things that make you sad!" _Or ignore them._

"You say that like it's easy." Lovino scoffed. "How do you forget what makes you sad when it all stems from what you are? An part of you that can't be changed?"

Antoio thought for a moment. How did he do it? It had never really been something he thought about, just...did. Like breathing. Except for now, since he thought about breathing he was going t have to do it manually for the next few minutes. Damn it!

"Well... I guess it all comes down to loving being you." Antonio's smile softened, and he leaned forward, cupping Lovino's face in his hands. He gently brushed his thumbs,

"Love being me? That's retarded." He grabbed Antonio's wrists, forcing his arms down and hands away from his face. "I can't just change that when I've been hating myself for more years than I can remember!" He sighed, interlacing his fingers with Antonio's and letting them fall to his lap. "How would I?"

"Do it like I do!" Antonio grinned, despite the serious what-the-fuck look he was getting from Lovi. It seemed to be a good answer, and easy enough to follow.

"Sure." Lovi sat up, moving next to Antonio on the desk. He was tired. Tired physically, and tired of being...tired. Did that make sense? No. But he was mentally exhausted from school, Alfred, his posse, keeping his feelings for Antonio in check, his family, and figuring out just who he was. All of was so taxing, and now that he could think about it, it overwhelmed him and made him realize just how much he needed a break.

The pair sat in silence for a moment, until Lovino finally spoke. "I think I'm going to go on a vacation for a while."

"What?" Antonio blinked, confused. It was such an unexpected thing to say.

"I want to get away from here," He sighed, resting his head on Antonio's shoulder. "for a while, anyway. I think it'll help."

Antonio put an arm around Lovino's shoulders, rubbing his arm gently. "Yes! That will help, I think." Antonio smiled, catching the Italian's eyes. Antonio truly did think this was a very helpful, if not necessary, step towards Lovino being happy.

"Thank you." Lovino mumbled. "It won't be long. Just a few days or so."

Antonio just kept smiling, reaching up ad ruffling Lovino's hair with his free hand.

"Hey!" Lovino scowled, lightly punching Antonio in the chest.

The bell rang, signalling the end of the school day. The air walked out of the classroom together, until Lovino split away to find his brother. Antonio continued to his locker alone, until he felt his sleeve being gently tugged. He turned around, not seeing anyone. What was that? He shrugged it off, and took another step, until he clearly heard, "E-excuse me!"

It was barely more than a whisper, but it was audible. Antonio checked again, finally noticing the small, pale boy next to him.

"Oh! Hola!"

"Hi Antonio. Could I, um, t-talk to you for a second? Privately?" Matthew was nervous about this, reconsidering as soon as the wrds came out of his mouth. Oh God, he'd made a terrible mistake! Antonio was going to think he was weird and never talk to him again! Then he'd be hopeless! Ohnoohnoohnooh-

"Yes!"

"I understand, I'm ju- …" Wait. He said yes! "Oh!" He sighed with relief, and relaxed. "O-over here." He led Antonio to an empty classroom, and sat at a desk. He was too frazzled to keep standing, and his legs were still a bit shaky.

"So, what do you need?" Antonio smiled, sitting across from him.

"Okay. Well." Matthew inhaled, preparing for a tal he'd rehearsed in his head so many times he'd lost count.

"I know you spend a lot of time around Lovino. I was going to ask him for help, but he's so...scary! I ought he'd yell at me or hit me or-" He was already getting off topic! What was he talking about? "Uu-um...Oh yeah, I know Lovino is gay," Matthew almost yelped as he noticed Antonio's expression darken. "BUT THAT'S OKAY! I'm fine with that! In fact, I'm gay too!"

Antonio was taken aback. Wow, that escalated quickly. "You're gay too?" Blinking, Antonio took a moment to process that. Matthew was Alfred's brother. Alfred, who picked on Lovino for being gay. His brother was gay, so- "Ooooooooooo-ooooohh."

"Yeah." Matthew's face turned red, and he stared at the floor. He couldn't bring himself to look Antonio in the eyes.

"Does he know?"

"No. I don't want to him to hate me, but I don't want to hide it from him anymore either. It's really hard, and I just..." Matthew huffed. He wasn't going to cry. He was gay, not a girl! Actually, that was bad logic. But still!

"What will you do?" Antonio wasn't sure if Matthew was here for support, advice, or help, truly.

"I-I don't know. I can't talk to him, he'd never listen to me."

"Could someone else do it?" Antonio tipped his head. His brain was working overtime to figure out a solution to this. But hard as he tried, his ideas never got father than some kind of party, taking a siesta, or seriously hurting someone.

"I don't know who would...who could. Unless...Will you do it?"

"Me? Talk to Alfred?" That was...a terrible idea. They didn't exactly get along. The last time they'd spent longer than a few seconds together Alfred got punched in the face. "I like my face the way it is..." He whined. Matthew was looking up at him, violet eyes wide. _He looks like a sad puppy. _Antonio wiggled uncomfortably. Of course he wanted to help...but he wanted to avoid bodily harm too. If a fight did break out, Antonio could get deported...

"Please?"

"Yes. I'll do it."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I'm such a lazy piece of shiiiiiiit.

Seriously. I'm so sorry. It's been so long. My list of excuses includes but is not limited to: World of Warcraft, Laziness, School, Laziness, Diablo III, Graduation, Laziness, and Germany.

Actually, I'm in Germany right now! To everyone who lives in Frankfurt, you have a beautiful city! Berliners, your city smells bad. :I

Anyway, I had my plot all figured out, and then I changed it all. It's like...really different from the original. Whoops.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for being awesome and patient, I promise it won't take me...a lot of months to have the next chapter up! I want to wrap this fic up, so I can start a new one I have an idea for!

I LOVE YOU ALL.


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